The last Utility Information Pipeline addressed petty cash fund policies and included a poll asking how utilities handle petty cash purchases.
Most utilities still maintain a petty cash fund and, as I advised against, only one respondent reimburses petty cash from the daily cash drawer.
Aging workforce
A major issue facing management of all utilities, large and small, is an aging workforce. As more key employees approach retirement age, utilities across the country are having to face the issue of replacing the loss of institutional and operational knowledge these long-time workers hold.
Does your utility have a plan in place to deal with the aging workforce?
Upcoming seminar
The Utility Management Committee of the NC AWWA-WEA, of which I am a member, is sponsoring an Aging Workforce Issues – Best Practices Panel & Luncheon seminar on Wednesday, November 30 from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
If you are located within driving distance of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, I encourage you to join us. If not, you can still participate in a live webcast of the seminar.
The seminar moderator is J.D. Solomon, PE, CRE, CMRP; Vice President of CH2M. The panelists are:
- Rod Dones, Organizational Development & Learning Specialist, Charlotte Water
- Tamara Byers, Human Resources Manager, Charlotte Water
- Ed Kerwin, PE, Executive Director, Orange Water & Sewer Authority
- Kenny Waldroup, PE, Assistant Public Utilities Director, City of Raleigh
- Matt Bernhardt, Director of Public Works and Utilities, City of Gastonia
